49ers game review

Offense

Who slipped the Nyquil in the Gatorade at halftime? The 49ers earned an A in the first half (17 points, 15 first downs, 253 yards) and an F in the final two quarters (three points, four first downs, 95 yards). Among the second-half lowlights, Alex Smith airmailed a would-have-been big gainer over Michael Crabtree. At least the Niners remained mistake-free during the final two quarters. They didn’t commit a turnover and have six turnovers in seven games.

Defense

Yes, it was the Browns, an offensively challenged bunch that entered without a TD in more than 61 minutes and played most of the game without its top two RBs and a starting WR. Still, the numbers are impressive. The Browns managed 290 yards and didn’t score a TD in the game’s first 53 minutes. LB NaVorro Bowman (game-high 11 tackles) further bolstered his Pro Bowl candidacy.

Special Teams

The 49ers challenged All-Pro returner Josh Cribbs … and lived to talk about it. After Cribbs had a punt-return TD in the teams’ last meeting in 2007, he was merely very good this time, averaging 11.3 yards on three punt returns and 25.5 yards on four kickoff returns. Beyond the coverage units, the star specialists were, again, stellar. Andy Lee (53.6-yard average on five punts) had a 65-yarder and David Akers drilled chip-shot field-goal attempts of 29 and 26 yards.

Coaching

Of course, the completions to Joe Staley and Isaac Sopoaga stood out as strokes of play-calling genius. Who else is doing this? To borrow the Niners’ favorite phrase … nooobody. On the flip side, Cleveland clearly made better halftime adjustments. The Browns solved a dominant running game and the 49ers couldn’t make them pay with the pass.

OVERALL

Two quarters might not cut it against teams that have some semblance of team speed or a quarterback who can get the ball downfield. The second-half snoozefest raises some concerns, but only mild ones at this point. Big picture: The 49ers matched last season’s win total and it’s not even November.